Chinese word

勒

Pronunciation

Pinyinlēi

Meaning

  • verbtighten

Example

请把安全带勒紧。qǐng bǎ ān quán dài lēi jǐn

Please tighten the seat belt.

Illustration for 勒 (tighten)

More examples

歹徒扬言要勒索钱财。dǎi tú yáng yán yào lè suǒ qián cái

The criminals threatened to extort money.

Core concept

Something is drawn tightly against its target, changing physical pressure into control and, figuratively, forced compliance.

Common phrases

  • 勒紧绷带lēi jǐn bēng dài

    tighten the bandage

  • 勒住脖子lēi zhù bó zi

    strangle someone by the neck

  • 勒紧腰带lēi jǐn yāo dài

    tighten the belt

Similar words

绑bǎng: Tie people or things together with rope or cord so they cannot move freely.
系xì: Fasten a cord or belt by tying or threading its ends so it stays in place.
捆kǔn: Tie several things tightly together into a bundle with rope or cord.
拴shuān: Tie an object or person to a post or stake with rope or chain so it cannot move away.

Definition in Chinese

用绳索或手把物体或身体束紧，以阻止动作或使其牢固；引申为用胁迫手段迫使他人就范。yòng shéng suǒ huò shóu bǎ wù tǐ huò shēn tǐ shù jǐn yǐ zú zhǐ dòng zuò huò shǐ qí láo gù yǐn shēn wèi yòng xié pò shǒu duàn pò shǐ tā rén jiù fàn

Word origin

The older meaning of 勒 (lēi, "tighten") centers on a bridle controlling a horse, and Chinese extends that same act of tightening from objects to bodies and then metaphorically to forcing compliance.

Usage tips

  • English normally chooses separate verbs for physical restraint and coercive demands, so context matters more than a single fixed translation.

Other meanings

  • strangleverb
  • extortverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 勒索lè suǒextortverb
  • 勒令lè lìngorderverb

Word lists with this word